Textual Analysis 2

The Libertines - Up The Bracket

This video is by The Libertines, which is the band that I have chosen to create a music video for. I have chosen to analyse one of their songs to get a feel for the type of music videos they produce. The video starts with the screen as a thin strip in the middle, this leaves black segments above and below it. Also the strip in the middle is split into four segments, each segment is for each member of the band. Each segment is a shot from different angles, then the camera moves back and we see the four members of the band, each member is in a different segment which is shown from a slightly different angle. The band members are dressed in jackets, and the main colour at the start of the video is black. The camera tracks back as the band members are walking towards it. Faint words are shown across the screen however the main shot is still in full view. The split screen then fades out, and the shot is the same but of all the band walking down the alley together, the band all jump on eachother etc, this shows the togetherness of the band. The video has certain documentary style/amateur style quality to them, this creates a sense of identification with the audience. The audience can identify with The Libertines, this is one of them aims of the video. As The Libertines arent a conventional band and they do things slightly differently to involve fans with what they are doing, for example when the band first got together they did gigs in their own flat for fans. The action then cuts between the alleyway and the street they were walking down, and what appears to be somebody's living room, further enforcing the home gigs the band used to do. In this shot the band are wearing red guards jackets, which later became a symbol of the band. It is kind of ironic as 'libertine' (the word the band is named after) is a word that describes someone who is against authority. However the band could be seen to be mocking authorotive figures. The camera shots carry on to be very amateur, this adds to the rough and ready style that The Libertines display. Also the bands overall look in the guards jackets and their hairstyles shows the band are very raw and natural in their approach to music.